Weighing and vending apparatus.



A. HEIMANN & L. FLATOW. WEIGHING- AND VENDING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 1, 1907.

I Patented Apr. 20, 1909. 4 SHEETSQSHEET 1. &5 Z,

lNVENTORSI- BY iZL; ATTORNEYS A. HEIMANN & L. PLATOW.

WEIGHING AND VENDING APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILED NOV. 1, 1907.

Patented Apr. 20, 1909.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

V 4 BY f A WITNESSES: M

A. HEIMANN (i; L. FLATOW.

WEIGHING AND VEN DING APPARATUS. APPLIUATION FILED NOV. 1, 1907.

Patented Apr. 20, 1909. Q 4SHEETS-SHEET 3.

y Q My [i 6 71% 151 A. HEIMANN & L. PLATOW.

WEEGHING AND VENDING APPARATUS.

APPLIUATION FILED NOV. 1, 1907.

Patented Apr. 20, 1909.

4 SHEETSSHEET 4.

BY I JJ/QATTORf EYS UNITED STATES rivrnn'r ALBERT HEIMANN AND LEO FLA'lOW, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNORS, BY MESNE ASSIGN- MENTS, TO DOUBLE VALUE VENDIhG COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

WEIGHING VENDING APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented April 20, 1909.

Application filed November 1, 1907. Serial No. 400,294.

[ all whom it may concern:

Be it. known that we, ALBERT .llEIMANN, a citizen ol' the United States of America, and

I a resident of the city, county, and State of New York, and Lao FLATOW, a subject of the l hnperor of Germany, and a resident of the city, county, and State ol" New York, have invented certain new and usei'ul Improve ments in \l'eighii1g and Vending Apparatus, of which the following is a specification, relerence being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part thereof.

Our invention relates to vending and weighing apparatus, and consists broadly, in the employment with independent weighing and vending mechanisms, of a single operating member, and coupling means by which said operating member may be coupled with the weighing andvending apparatus to simultaneously operate the same.

The device comprises a combined weighing and vending machine, but the weighing means is employed for the nirposc of weighing only and is not used or operating anyother meehanism whatsoever. It is important that the weighing means shall be free from connection with any other mechanism, for, if not, the weighing is liable to be inaccurate owing to the (litlcrent resistances which may be interposed.

The weighing apparatus con'iprises means for ell'ecting the actual weighing and a weight displaying device for displaying the amount of the weight registered thereby, and the weight displaying dei ice is arranged to be operated by the operating member at the same time as the vending apparatus is operated thereby, the coupling, means coupling both the said devices with the operating member at once. Normally the operating member may be moved freely without it ett'ecting any operation whatever so far as has yet been described, because it is only when the coupling mechanism couples it with the vending and weight displaying device that it atl'ec-ts either of them, but, as a further portion of our invention, we employ the said operating member for the purpose of operat inc;

advertising apparatus, so that every time the said operating member is moved, movement is transmitted to the l advertising apparatus. This movement of the advertising apparatus is etlected by the operating mcm vending apparatus and the weighing apparatus, or not. In other words, the advertising devices are preferably in constant operative connection with the said operating member, while the other apparatus is only connected therewith by the coupling means.

The. coupling means may conveniently be coin-controlled and in such case the operation of the machine will be as lollows: 'lhc operating member, which may be in the form of a handle or lever, may be moved at any time, producing thereby correspt'inding movements ol the advertising matter, bu t. no operative movement of the vending or weight displaying means. By numipulating the coupling means, by the insertion of a coin, articles will bedisclnirged from the machine when the said handle or lever is operated, at the same time as the advertising matter is moved. Further, it at the time the opcrating handle is manipulated, the operator standing upon the plat lorm ol the weighing scales (and a coin ol' the proper denomination has been inserted in the machine.) the. weight of the operator will be displayed, an article will be discharged from the machine, and the advertising devices will be operated, all at the same time.

The preferred form of our apparatus includes a plurality of vending devices, a plurality of individual coin-controlled mechanism therefor, a common operating mom-- her for operating any of the said vending dcviccs, and coupling means lor bringing about the operation of the weight displaying means when any one of the vending devices is operated.

Our invention also consists in many novel (let-ails 'ol construction and combinations ol parts as will more lully appear hereinalter.

in order thatour invention may be fully understood, we will now )rocced to describe an embodiment thereol, having reference to the accompanying drawings illustrating the same, and will then point out the novel features in claims.

In the drawings: Figure his a view in front elevation of the machine. view in side elevation ol' the same. Fig. 3 is atop view thereof. Fig. 4 is a view in lrontelevation on a larger scale 01' the upper ort-ion of the machine, with the from p ate removed. Fig. 5 is a view in longitudinal ber, whether thesame be coupled with the vertical (ill )ll through the parts shown in Fig, 2 is a Fig. 4, the plane of section being taken substantially upon the line 55 in such figure. Fig. 6 is a ront view of certain arts'of the operating mechanism, particular y including portions of the vending apparatus. Fig. 7 is a view in central vertical section of the arts shown in Fig. 6, the plane of section taken substantially upon the, line 77 in such figure. ,Fig. 8 is a top View of the parts.

shown in Fig. 6. Fig. 9 is a detail view upon a still larger scale of certain portions of the coin-controlled mechanism, including the locking device which is brought into opera tion when the magazine is empty. Fig. 10

r is a detail view showing gearing employed between the operating member and the advertising apparatus.

. The machine as a whole comprises a casing 11 mounted upon a standard 12, said standard provided with a foot 13. A scales platform 14 is arranged above a portion of the foot 13, said scales platform provided with a rod or connection 15, by which the same is connected with resistance springs or other weighing mechanism as may be desired, said rod or connection serving also to operate a rack 16 which is arranged in mesh with a pinion 17. The pinion 17 is connected to a disk 28 which serves as an index dial, the said disk having figures thereon in consecutive order to indicate different weights which the platform may carry. The figure corresponding to the weight carried by the platform is exposed through a window or opening 19 in the casing 11 when a shutter 20, with which the said window or opening is provided, is withdrawn. The casing 11 contains a plurality of chutes or magazines 21 for contain ing articles or packages to be vended. Each 0 utc or magazineis provided with a coincontrolled mechanism through the medium of which articles may be delivered there from. As the several mechanisms for all the magazines or chutes are precisely similar, a description of one of them will serve a description of all. I

Each chute or magazine 21 is provided at its lower end with an ejector 2 which is arranged to be reciprocated across the bottom.

of the said chute or magazine to eject the articles/therefrom one at a time. As each article is ejected the remaining articles descend by gravity for the next succeeding article to be ejected in its turn. The ejected article drops inside the case and may-be reached from the outside through the mouth or outlet 23. The ejector is actuated by means of a lever 24 fulcrumed or pivoted at 25. This lever is provided at its upper end with a coin actuated engaging piece or gravity lock 26 (see particularly Figs. 7, 8 and 9), the same being pivotally ecured at 28 u on the said lever and arrange opposite the 'scharge mouth of a coin chute 27 which is mounted in the casing 11, being so located as to receive a coin eing as. it is discharged from the said chute. The said engaging piece 26 normally rests'in the position in which it is shown in Fig. 9 in the drawings, but when it receives a coin it is overbalanced thereby, being. then caused to turn upon its pivotal support 28 to the position in which it is shown in Fig. 7 of the drawings. Whenin the latter position the said engaging device is brought to'a point directly in front of an actuator 29, being at such time directly in the path of movement of the said actuator. When the said gravity lock is in such a position, and the actuator 29 is movedforward, the lever 24'will be operated and thereby caused to so move the to eject an article from the magazinein which it is mounted. When the said engaging piece or gravity lock is in its normal position, that is to say, the position in which it is shown in Fig. 9, it will be out of the path .of movement of the actuator, and movements of the said actuator will not affect same or cause any movement to be impartedto the gorresponding lever and slide. The return movement of the lever 24, and hence of the slide or ejector 22, is effected by means of a spring 3 For the purpose of returning the gravity lock to its normal position after it has been over-balanced by a coin, we have provided a hook or catch 31 pivoted to a fixed point in the machine and arranged, upon thelforward movement of the lever 24, to engage a notch orshoulder 32, with which the gravity lock 26 is provided. The said hook or catch 31 is caused to enga e the shoulder 32 when the lever is moved forward, whereby, upon moving the lever backward, the same will rock the gravity look upon its pivotal sup' port to return it to its normal position, as will be well understood; The part 26 is so arranged as to rest by gravity in either position to which it is moved, that is to say, its center of gravity is movedfrom one side of the axis of its pivotal support to the other when it is shifted from rest to operated position. After a coin has operated to throw the gravity lock over, it Wlll drop down and pass through a chute 33 into a coin receiving 0x or drawer 34 of any suitable type, and which may be normally locked in position in the machine, but arranged to be removed when desired in any well known manner.

'In order to revcnt the mechanism from being operate when a magazine becomes empty, we haveprovided a locking means 35 rotatively-mou'ntcd in the machine, apawl 36 carried by the lever 24, and a locking slide 37. The locking slide 37 is mounted adjacent to the foot of the chute or inagazine 21, and has a part adapted to be re ceived by a slot or recess 38 in the ratchet wheel 35. The ratchet wheel may conveniently-have a number of teeth equal to the slide or ejector 22 as number of articles or packages in the adjacent magazine, and may be thus made to act as a counter. A step by step movement is imparted thereto as the lever 24 is operated, until, finally, as the last article is discharged from the magazine, the slot or recess 38 will be brought opposite to the portion of the slide 37 arranged to engage therewith, and the said slide will move by gravity to such engagement. This will lock the ratchet wheel, which, by engagement with the pawl 36, will prevent further operations of the lever 24. We employ a shutter 39 in connection with the slide 12, which is allowed to drop when the slide moves into engagement with the ratchet wheel to thereby closethe coinslot.

As previously explained, there are a plurality of chutes or magazines and coin-controlled mechanisms similar to that just described, and for each said magazine and connected parts there is an actuator similar to I the actuator 29 just described. These actuators are arranged upon a common shaft 40, said shaft provided with a gear segment 41, the teeth of which are arranged in mesh with the teeth of a rack l ar 42. The rack bar 42 is also provided with teeth arranged in mesh with a gear segment 43 secured fast to a handle or lever 44 arranged upon the outside of the machine and which serves w an operating member for the machine. The

movement of the said operating member is limited by means of a guide piece 45. The operation of the said handle or lever 44 will, through the medium of the gcar segments 41- and 43, the rack bar 42 and the actuator shaft 40, operate all the actuators, but unless the engaging piece or gravity lock of any one of the levers 24 for the different magazines has been acted upon by a coin there will be no operation of the vending mechanism. If any engaging piece or gravity lock has been so operated, an article will be discharged from the corrcsponding magazine upon such operation of the handle or lever, the coin operated mechanism thus acting as coupling means for connecting the vending device with the operating member.

The coupling means by which the operating lever is connected with the means for indicating the weight carried by the scales platform at the time the said member is operated, consists of a plurality of arms 46 carried by a common shaft 47, said arms ar ranged contiguous to -am pieces 48 with which the said lev'crs 24 are provided. The shal't47 is also provided with a lever arm 4t) (see Figs. 4 and 5), which is connected by means of a connecting n irc or rod 56 il'h an arm or lever 51 which carries the shutter 20. The said arm or lever is pivoted at 52 lo the casing 11, and is normally held by a spring 53 in a position to close the window 19. When the lever 24 moves forward it rocks the shaft swing the arm 27 platform 1 4.

47 by means of the cam 48 carried by it, and

the correspomiling arm 46 upon the shaft'.

thereby pulls upon the wire or rod 50 to dowmvard against the tension of the spring 29, and thereby to remove the shutter 20 from in front of the window 19. The movement of the shutter will display the proper indicating figure carried by the dial through the opening or window 19, whereby the weight of the person standing upon the' platform may be readily ascertained. The shaft 47 has a shouldered portion 54 arranged to be engaged by a hook or catch 55, the said hook or catch serving to hold the shaft 47 in its rocked position and to prevent theimmediate return of the shutter20. The movement of the parts to their normal positions, and hence the return of the shutter to a position across the window 19, is effect-ed by means of a pawl 56, w hich is carried by the aforesaid rod or connection 15, said awl passing beneath a projecting toe of the look. or catch 55 as the rod or connection 15 de-' scends when a person stops upon the scales The said pawl 56 engages the toe or projection of the hook or catch 55 as the rod or connection 15 moves upward again when the person leaves the platform, thereby-v relcasing the said hook or catch from engagement with the shouldered portion of the shaft 47, permitting the parts to return to normal under the influence of the spring 29.

From the foregoing it will be understood how the operation of any one of the coincontrolled mechanisms of the vending devices will also act as coupling means to connect the weight dis laying device with the operating lever, so t rat every time a coin is received in the machine the weight of a person standing upon the platform will be displayed and an article discharged from the magazine corresponding with the coin chute in which the coin is received. It will also be umlm'stood, however, that the Vending will be ell'cct-uated whether the operator stands upon the weighing scales platform or not, because the operation of the vending apparatus in no way depends upon the operation of the weighing apparatus.

The rack bar 42, which, it will be remembered, is in constant operative connection with the handle or lever 44, is provided with gear teeth which engage a gear segment 57. The gear segment 57 carries a pawl through which step by step movements of rotation may be transmitted to a ratchet wheel 58 (see particularly Fig. 10), said ratchet wheel being keyed or fixed to a gcar-wheel 59 having gear connection 60 with a roller 61. The roller 61 may carry advertisements or other matter, and is connected by miter gearing with a horizontalroller 62, in turn connected by suitable gearing with another roller 63. As these rollers are rotated suitable matter or advertisements thereon are brought into view. The rollers may be made to rotate at different rates of rotation or not, in accordance with the gear connection between them.

i The casing will, of course, have suitable side openings or windows for exposing the advertisements, and, if desired, the interior of the magazines or other parts, and the said casing may be suitably provided with mirrors and otherwise decorated, as 1s common in this class of machines. Furthermore, the front portion of the casing may be formed as a removable part 64, whereby access may be had to the magazines for re-charging them, and

' to the mechanism for repairs, etc.

means, and means movable into position for connecting the weight displaying means and the vending ap aratus with the said manual operating mem er.

2. The combination with a plurality of vending devices, an independent weighing apparatus and a weight displaying means, of a manual operating member normally disconnected from the weight displaying means and all of the vending devices, and an inde pendent device for each of said vending devices movable into position to connect its vending device and the weight displaying means with the said manual operating member. I a

3. The combination with a plurality of vending devices, independent Weighing means and a weight displaying means, and a manual operating member normally dis connected from all of said vending devices and the weight displaying means, of a plurality of individual devices movable into 0- sition for connecting said operating mem er with the said vending devices respectively, any one of said connecting, devices being operative at the same time for connecting said operating member with the said weight displaying means.

ALBERT HEIMANN. LEO FLATOW. Witnesses: D. HOWARD HAYWOOD,

LYMAN S. ANDREWS, Jr. 

